BENGALURU: With the BBMP presenting its budget on Thursday, Bengalureans and experts have a comprehensive wishlist, including a focus on mobility. Experts also demand that the BBMP website be improved and special funds be set aside for road maintenance.
According to urban designer Naresh Narasimhan, the focus should be on first and last-mile pedestrian mobility networks. The budget should stress on making city streets more pedestrian-friendly and walkable, starting with a 2 km radius of Metro stations. The stormwater drain network should be strengthened.
“The municipality should move from an open drain concept to a comprehensive closed-drain piped network. The TenderSure roads have footpaths, as well as drains in this concept and the same can be replicated in other parts of the city,” he said.
As per Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee, CIVIC, the BBMP budget should focus on fulfilling social infrastructure creches, anganwadis, schools, PHCs, rental housing and slum redevelopment.
“The budget should focus on redeveloping slums, rejuvenating lakes, removing encroachments, processing solid waste locally, etc. Focus merely on road infrastructure in terms of flyovers, etc. should be avoided,” Kathyayini stressed.
The BBMP must look at allocating its budget to more sustainable long-term solutions rather than ad hoc one, which do not solve the problem in the long run and destroy the city’s ecology, opined Preeti Sunderajan, co-founder, Citizens for Sankey.
“Increase budget for sustainable mobility projects like better suburban rail, BMTC buses, better Metro connections, good footpaths,” she added.
WATCH THE BUDGET ONLINE
The BBMP budget will be presented on Thursday at Town Hall. With the council hall being renovated and chairs being fixed to increase seating capacity to 310, this will be sufficient to accommodate 243 corporators in future, and also MLAs, MPs and MLCs from Bengaluru who have the power to elect a Mayor. Meanwhile, BBMP Special Commissioner Jayaram Raipura will present the budget, whose proceedings will be played online for public viewing. Recently, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had said that the budget outlay will be similar to the last time and the focus will be on education, health and welfare.